The Night Dumbledore Died
by leiamoo
Summary: One-shot about what happened after they left the hospital wing. Because there can never be enough RLNT!


Remus Lupin wasn't sure exactly why he found himself emerging from the fireplace in a puff of green smoke, but he could clearly trace the events which led to this moment. It must've had something to do with Professor Dumbledore's death earlier that night, and perhaps it was somehow connected to Nymphadora Tonks' emphatic declaration of her intentions.

Her insane intentions.

Whether the metamorphmagus was sane or not, she was certainly compelling.

Remus crossed the dark sitting room, smiling at the few pieces of furniture which were upturned. He stopped to stand in the doorway of her bedroom.

Tonks was sprawled, face-down, in the middle of her bed, asleep. Remus' breath hitched in his throat at the sight of her-relaxed, with curly brown hair splayed out on the pillowcase, dressed only in neon green underwear and a t-shirt. He glanced down at his own well-worn striped pajamas and sighed. What in the world was he doing here?

"Nymphadora?" he whispered toward her in the dark. She made no movement. He took a few steps toward the bed.

"Nymphadora?" he whispered again. She flinched and turned her head toward him without opening her eyes.

"Don't call me Nymphadora." She mumbled almost incoherently. He grinned, but only a little.

"Can I… I know this is… I was wondering if…" he began, stumbling over his words. This was not going well. He stared down at his bare feet. Had he merely wanted to see her? To not be alone?

She reached out her hand.

He quickly closed the gap between them and took her hand, perching on the edge of the bed.

They sat like that, silently, for an eternity. Then, she scooted away from him, pulling his hand along, until he settled into the bed next to her.

She was still sprawled on her stomach, and he was lying on his side facing her.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered, almost too quietly for him to hear. She then turned her head away and said nothing more.

() () () () ()

Tonks awoke as sunlight forced its way into the room through her dark curtains. She quickly realized why she felt odd: her arms and legs were tangled around the body of a man.

 _Well, this is new_ , she thought wryly to herself.

 _But it feels very nice._

She inched her head upward and her eyes widened. Remus Lupin's sleeping face was nestled inches above hers. One of his arms was wrapped around her back, and the other supported her head, his fingers having wound themselves through her hair. He wore a relaxed smile which she had never seen before.

Her own arms, she noticed, were similarly occupied: one circled around to his back, while the other- _oh my crap_ , she thought-rested on his bare chest, beneath his shirt. One of her legs was sandwiched between his.

She decided there were too many body parts to keep track of, then gave up and closed her eyes again. Morning could wait a little longer.

() () () () ()

"Nymphadora?"

She awoke to a groggy voice and the feeling of someone gently shaking her.

"Mmm?" she answered, blinking.

Remus was still there, lying next to her in his soft, striped pajamas. She smiled and tightened her arm around him.

"Good morning." He said it as if she'd just shown up at an Order meeting for breakfast. As if waking up entangled in her bedsheets was a routine occurrence for the two of them.

"It sure is," she responded, and flashed him a cheeky grin which he tried not to reciprocate.

"I'm sorry if I startled you last night." He seemed genuinely bashful, perhaps ashamed of himself.

"Oh, it's nothing. Usually it's Kingsley or Moody I end up sleeping with, so this makes a nice change."

She tried desperately not to laugh at her own joke but, as usual, she failed. The bed shook with her giggles.

"Hilarious." He did not look amused.

She shrugged. "So why did you come?"

He seemed to ponder this for a moment.

"I'm not really sure," he admitted, "but I'm glad I did." She was almost certain she felt his grip tighten around her.

"Me too, Remus. I wish this could be-"

"The usual? Normal? Us together, every night?" he asked.

"Well, if it were up to me, we would've been doing a lot more than just cuddling-"

"Nymphadora!"

"DON'T call me Nymphadora."

"DON'T make inappropriate jokes." He matched her tone.

"There is nothing inappropriate about me loving you, Remus. Why can't you understand that?" She stared, unblinking, at him.

He sighed and twisted a strand of her hair in his fingers.

"You'd be making a mistake." He said it quietly.

"That's not true. You are the only thing that makes me happy. I'd be crazy to walk away."

He closed his eyes.

"I just don't understand you."

"That's okay! No one ever has." She grinned at him, emboldened as she caressed his abdomen with her roving hand.

He opened his eyes again, and something had changed in them. He appeared to have finally reached a decision after much deliberation.

Now she was certain his grip tightened, for he pulled her body flush against his. She felt heat radiating between them, and she trailed her hand from his chest around his side, savoring the feel of his skin beneath her fingers. He shivered under her touch.

"I think you're making a mistake." He whispered it into her hair.

"You're wrong. I'll prove it to you."

And she tilted her head upward and captured his lips in a kiss which left nothing to he desired. Her tongue quickly gained entrance into his mouth, and she was shocked to feel him respond with equal willingness. He sucked on her bottom lip as she began unbuttoning the front of his shirt. His hands wandered from her back down to her thighs, but she smiled into the kiss when she realized he skipped over her backside. Although she was wearing only underwear. _Always the gentleman._

She finished with his shirt, now free to roam her hands freely over his chest, shoulders, and back. Tonks could feel many scars-some long healed, some relatively fresh-beneath her fingertips, and she was struck with a new wave of appreciation for the marvel of a man in front of her. Although he saw himself as a monster, she knew he was brave, selfless, and loyal. As she wrapped her leg around his body, he recommitted himself to the deep kiss. Tonks made a sound in the back of her throat which she'd never heard before, and Remus immediately broke away from her.

"I-I'm losing control," he shuddered, taking a few steadying breaths, "I'm sorry."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think it's quite fair to place all the blame on _you_ , Remus."

She wiggled her eyebrows. He grinned at her, removing his hands from her thighs. He placed a hand on her cheek, gently tracing down her jawline.

"Still. We should stop now, or else…" he trailed off.

"Or else you'll have to marry me?" she responded, then giggled. He didn't laugh, only stared at her.

"Exactly."


End file.
